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VILLA 3 IN ENGLAND SQUAD

ASTON VILLA will have three players in England's final World Cup squad.

As expected, Emile Heskey and James Milner made it into the final 23 for the flight to South Africa.

But more surprising was Fabio Capello's decision to pick Stephen Warnock as one of his defenders ahead of Everton's Leighton Baines.

The only other Midlands representation comes in the form of Joe Hart, who rocketed into the the England squad on the back of an excellent season at Birmingham City before returning to Manchester City.

For Milner, the call-up, while not unexpected, caps an excellent season for the midfielder, who won PFA young player of the year as a result.

And a strong performance in the World Cup could prompt fresh speculation over his future. Villa are keen to hold on to Milner, despite Manchester City expected to keep bidding for him. Around £25million is thought to be on the table at the moment.